[0:00] All right, Psalm chapter number 89. Thank you so much. Nice to have sisters singing, Hannah and Lydia. I don't know why Stephanie and Amy Coffey, they should do that sometime together.
[0:10] You know, me and Mark and I, we sung together one time. We sung a song, you know that song, I Will Be Here? We sung I Won't Drink Beer. It was very beautiful. It was a parody.
[0:21] I think that's what it was. It was great. We should bring that back, Mark. We should try that. And that was a beautiful song, beautiful singing. Really like the congregational we sung ending, Christ is mine forevermore.
[0:35] We'll end the night singing that together. We have a few extra minutes than normal, which I'm glad for because this is a longer psalm. And we'll look at all Psalm 89 tonight and I will read it.
[0:47] But before I do, I'll give you a little background information before we jump right into the psalm. Sometimes the description above a psalm is a hard name to read, a hard one to say. Michelle or Cora or some name that I'm not sure if I'm saying it right.
[1:02] This one sounds like a modern day worship leader, Ethan. All right. And so we have Ethan Ezraite. He is writing the psalm here. Obviously, it's inspired of God.
[1:14] And so this is from God to us. But you see that I may refer to Ethan and it's nobody that you know. Okay, we're talking about the psalmist, Ethan, that is here. And I thought it was interesting.
[1:26] If you want to find out about him, Ethan, you'll find in 1 Kings 4, verse 31. He's somebody who's known for having wisdom. And the reason you know this, he's a contemporary of Solomon, it appears.
[1:39] And this is what it says about him in 1 Kings 4, verse 31. It says, And so he was used as a comparison to say Solomon was smarter than him.
[1:59] All right. And you just got to love that, right? That's what you're used for. He's just used for the purpose to say Solomon is smarter than him. Some of us were talking about eggplant earlier. It's not really a food.
[2:10] It's just something that's used to compare the size of something else, you know. Well, Ethan here is used as a comparison. And I would find it to be like when Michael Phelps was in the Olympics that year, when he won every gold medal.
[2:22] And so if you were going against Phelps, you knew that you were only swimming for second place. And so Ethan knew in every spelling bee and everything his whole life, he's going to come second place to Solomon. And so we have this man of great wisdom that God uses to write Psalm 89.
[2:37] And despite the way that I've started off tonight, the ending part of this chapter is a lament, but you won't know it until about verse number 37. If you're listening to it, the musical notes, the Selah, which would be the pause and meditate, but it would also, they would say that it could be musical instruments, something told to do.
[2:59] This would be a very lighthearted song, but not towards the last third of it. 2 Samuel chapter number 7, this is where David is anointed to be king over the people.
[3:11] I want to read to you 2 Samuel 7, 13 through 17, this promise that was given. It says, He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
[3:22] I will be his father, and he shall be my son. What a great verse, isn't it? It would be easy to be envious of David, but then realize that we have been given the same privilege. I will be his father, and he shall be my son.
[3:34] If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men. But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. Verse 16, And thine house and thy kingdom shall establish forever before thee.
[3:49] Thy throne shall be established forever. According to all these words, according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David. Just highlighting a few things that was told to David, is that he would never be rejected as King Saul, that his enemies would never be able to rise against him, that God would secure his place, and that somebody would sit upon his throne.
[4:12] This Davidic promise covenant given would remind you of Genesis 12, and the promises made to Abraham. This is just, it's not just some great words said about you, but this is a promise from God that preserve you and your family, and that's what David was given here in 2 Samuel chapter number 7.
[4:33] So Psalm 89 verse 1, we have a song that comes from it, all right? And it's Thursday night, you are a fun group, all right? So I'm going to sing, and if you know it, you sing with me, okay?
[4:43] I'll read the verse first. First, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever. With my mouth will I make known the faithfulness to all generations. You know the song? I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.
[4:56] I will sing, I will sing, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord.
[5:09] Stephen, this is easy. Well, I mean, what are you talking about? This group's best congregation right here, the church, best choir congregation. I will sing, when I look that song up, to make sure I was singing it right or remembering it right, what mercy that I am in the church forever.
[5:23] I will sing the mercy of the Lord forever. I never, we never sung that line. We only said with my mouth will I make known the faithfulness to all generations. But you sing that, church camp, growing up, you just sung it now, and you're smiling, because I was off tune, and you love to see me sing.
[5:38] But you're smiling because it's an upbeat song. But in Psalm starts like that. That's where we're at in Psalm 89, verse number one. And so we have the reading. I'm going to read this here for you.
[5:49] And if you'll pay attention, you'll see where things will change. The congregation will be singing eventually through blinding tears. Have the promises of God failed?
[6:01] Have you ever seen those red hot tears? You know, I saw them in Selah this week. She was so upset. It's almost like the tears are just fire, right? You can see them on the skin there. And so when these people are singing a lament, David's reign lasted 400 years, but they say, God, you had promised forever.
[6:20] But these people are still going to be singing unto God before they get to the song of lament. You know, I would never dare to try to measure actions that bring more glory to God as opposed to others.
[6:33] But I have seen people stand here and specifically stand over by that piano before saying at times when their heart was broken out to God the same praises to God.
[6:45] I have no doubt that's true in every seat that you're in tonight that somebody has sat there before that sung a praise to God even though they were hurting on the inside. Maybe that's happened here tonight.
[6:58] Lament is a psalm. Teach us what acceptable worship can sound like in our suffering. You may think that there's a lot more lament in the book of Psalms because now as I've been bringing it out, I'm just bringing the word out more than I ever had before.
[7:11] I would have never used that word before. But as you've studied the psalms, you see it's divided like that. But lament psalms, like the last third of this psalm, teaches us what's acceptable worship can sound like during our suffering.
[7:26] And so we don't know what's going on. Maybe the time of Absalom's rebellion, the vision of a kingdom, end of the history of David's kingdom. I don't know what's happening. It isn't given to us to know.
[7:38] I know that in Psalm 88, it was a personal lament, something that somebody was going through. If you remember when we went through that, crying day and night, their soul was full of troubles and they were heavy.
[7:51] There was a man as with no strength. This is a lament that they're all dealing with together. And we've had some of those before in our lives where you know you're not alone, but even though you're not alone, you know that the person besides you is also dealing with it.
[8:06] You've had that before. You know, you've lost a loved one. Men, we have this sometimes. You know you want to be strong. You want to be there for your spouse. But you're like, I'm also carrying the same load. Same for our wives.
[8:16] They want to be there for us. Maybe it's your father that passed away, but they feel that it's well. Everybody around them, when they were singing this, were unified in the lament that they were having.
[8:27] Let me read it, and then I want to pray and ask that God will give us some understanding of His Word. Psalm 89, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever. With my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations.
[8:42] For I have said, mercy shall be built up forever. Thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens. I have made a covenant with my chosen. I have sworn unto David, my servant.
[8:55] Thy seed will I establish forever and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah, consider the praise that was given, the admonishment that was given, the saying of the mercies of the Lord forever throughout the generations.
[9:12] And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord, thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. For who is in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord. Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord?
[9:26] God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. O Lord, God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee?
[9:37] Or to thy faithfulness round about thee? Thou rulest the raging of the sea. When the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them. Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces as one that is slain.
[9:49] Rahab, you will know, is a reference unto Egypt. Thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm. The heavens are thine, the earth is also thine. As for the world and the fullness thereof, thou hast founded them.
[10:02] The north and the south, thou hast created them. Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name. Thou hast a mighty arm, strong in thy hand. High is thy right hand. Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne.
[10:16] Mercy and truth shall go before thy faith. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound. They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. What a great expression.
[10:26] Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound. They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. For thou art the glory of their strength and in thy favor, O horn, shall be exalted.
[10:41] For the Lord is our defense and the Holy One of Israel is our King. Then thou spakest in a vision to the Holy One and saith, I have laid help upon one that is mighty. I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
[10:52] I have found David my servant. With my holy oil have I anointed him. Going back to David being anointed king, picturing that, I have found him with my holy oil set aside for a peculiar purpose unto the Lord.
[11:07] Verse 21, With whom my hand shall be established, mine arm also shall be strengthened him. The enemy shall not exact upon him, nor the son of the wickedness afflict him. And I will beat down his foes before his face and plague them that hate him.
[11:21] But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him. And in my name shall his horn be exalted. I will set his hand also in the sea and his right hand in the rivers. He shall cry unto me, Thou art my Father, my God, and the rock and my salvation.
[11:34] Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for him forevermore and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure forever and his throne as the days of heaven.
[11:49] If his children forsake my law and walk not in my judgments, if they break my statutes and keep not my commandments, then I will visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless, my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
[12:06] Nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. That's going to be important because we know it's true, but that's really what's going to be under question by these people is that has the faithfulness of the Lord failed?
[12:20] Have you ever thought the faithfulness of the Lord has failed you? Verse 34, My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that has gone out of my lips. Once I have sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David, his seed shall endure forever and his throne as the sun before me.
[12:37] It shall be established forever as the moon and as a faithful witness in heaven, Salem. Consider this promise that was made. Consider that his faithfulness will not fail.
[12:48] Consider the promises that have been made here unto David to the children of Israel. Verse 38, But thou hast cast off and abhorred. This is where the tone would change.
[13:00] This is where the key change would happen. It's where it would go into a minor key. Thou hast been wroth with thine anointed. Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant.
[13:11] Thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground. Thou hast broken down all his hedges. Thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin. All that pass by the way spoil him. He has reproached his neighbor.
[13:23] Thou hast set up thy right hand of his adversaries. Thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice. Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword and hast not made him to stand in the battle. Thou hast made his glory to cease and cast his throne down to the ground.
[13:36] The days of his youth hast thou shortened. Thou hast covered him with shame. Selah. What a change in the tone that was happening here. God you're faithful but now all if you take the verses that I just read here compare them to the promises you're going to see that they are wondering if his promises have failed.
[13:58] Verse 36 How long Lord wilt thou hide thyself forever? Shall thy wrath burn like fire? Remember how short my time is. Wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?
[14:08] What man is he that liveth and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? We have the great blessing of being New Testament saints that when we read verse number 8 to know the answer to that question.
[14:23] Right? What man is he that liveth and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah consider this. Verse 49 Lord where are thy former loving kindness which thou swearest unto David and thy truth?
[14:37] Remember Lord the reproach of thy servants how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people wherewith thine enemies have reproached though Lord wherewith they have approached the footsteps of thine anointed.
[14:48] And this is where I hope we end tonight. This will be the invitation that I will ask you. Will you be able to say as they did in verse 52 blessed be the Lord forever. Amen and amen.
[15:00] That's God's word. I promise you I would not take that long to read any other book to you and to stand here and I didn't look up but I felt that you were listening and following God's word and we just followed it here.
[15:13] Followed through God's faithfulness and the promises but that turning point that happened in his life in verse number 38 and we've all had that. Was it a phone call between verse 37 and verse 38?
[15:26] Was it a when they arrived at home? What is the condition in which happened? Where is it where we go of singing the praises of God the saying has he forgot us? Has he failed us?
[15:36] Heavenly Father I ask that you be with us Lord give us understanding. Lord make application Lord we know this was written in a different time and at a different place but we are certainly aware that it was written for us and for now.
[15:48] Lord it's not my job to make your book relevant it is so relevant for us. So Lord I'm asking that I don't confuse a matter that should be very clear. That you would speak unto your children that you would encourage them Lord that they would recognize that you are king and that this is a story that is about you and that we should be grateful for that.
[16:08] In Jesus name I pray. Amen. First thing that I'd like for you to see out of this psalm is that the promises of God do not exempt us from suffering but enable us to suffer with hope.
[16:20] We said this at Mr. Tom's funeral on Tuesday that death or that Jesus changes everything about death. Right? He changes that we no longer as little children suffer without hope without reason that we're not ignorant brethren right?
[16:34] That we don't have hope and we most certainly do. So Jesus changes suffering that the worst thing that can ever happen to us can only be temporal. That the worst things that are ever going to happen to you can only be temporal because of Jesus because we are found hidden in Him.
[16:51] So for all eternity we have His blessings but suffering can only be temporal. So here's Ethan at this lengthy beautiful reminds God of the promises read verses 19 through 37.
[17:03] I remind you verse 19 that thou spakest in a vision to the Holy One and says I have laid help upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
[17:14] That great promise that great thing that David did. The thing that you just kind of dream about you know where you're David every time they would line up to play soccer or basketball he would always be picked last.
[17:25] Alright? David who when they lined up they didn't even notice he wasn't there but the Holy Oil the Holy One of God found David. He found him and that's just such a special blessing in life.
[17:38] It's one that's available to every one of you. It's something that I would share personally in my life that ought to be no different for you. I remember a time when it's just a tough situation with my dad and he just said you know you don't look like me you don't talk like me you don't act like me he wanted me to take him out of our dry county over to another county and I just remember just being so heartbroken and feeling so rejected and then going to church and hearing this song about a shepherd boy who God saw as a king and remember not even waiting until the altar call was given just going down to an altar and saying God you see me and you know me and so David experiences that I've experienced that and you should experience that as well in the fact that Jesus Christ knows you and he saved you and so that's what David is talking about David this promise that was given God had chosen David from the people and anointed him king and established him and promised him that his enemies would not overcome him verse 20
[18:40] I found David my servant with the holy oil have anointed him with whom his hands shall be established mine arm shall also strengthen him the enemy shall not exact upon him nor the son of the wickedness afflict him I will beat down the foes before his face and the plague them that hate him he says I'm going to protect you David I'm going to be there for you which is that great promise that was given you've all had days like that where it's sunny outside and you're like nothing's going to touch me nothing can bother me here God promised to be a father to him and make him as his son and I read that to you thou art my father my God and the rock of my salvation he shall cry unto me verse 27 also make him of the firstborn higher than the kings of the earth and as you're reading it and we hear this and we say that doesn't necessarily that doesn't completely fit for David does it don't get ahead of me okay I'm preaching here slow down Wayne alright we got to get to it in due time alright but you hear that and so the promises being said God promised to establish David's offspring forever if they had stayed from if they would not have strayed from God's way he would discipline them but he would not remove his mercy
[19:47] God would not lie to David he just said it God will not lie to David I can tell you God did not lie to David right God did not lie to you God's never lied to you but we're not talking that God lied to them the question is do they feel that God lied to them are they experiencing that God lied to them because that's where the real lamenting comes in it's not just the problem that you're facing it's all the problems that you think that you're facing because you believe that not only is my problem bad but now there's something between me and God that is not the way that it's supposed to be and so how do we get here in this lament that was cast off and abhorred that was in wrath that God fail us would be the question that was asked have the promises of God failed as he said verses 38 through 45 he told God how he exalted David's foes by causing them to defeat Israel in battle and we read those verses that he had broken down the hedges that was brought the strongholds to ruin so we go from saying you said you're going to protect me but let me tell you over here they broke down the strongholds you said you're going to protect us but this is what really happened they passed by the way to spoil he has a reproach now to his neighbors the days of his youth have been shortened
[21:01] I believe it's in the second chronicles where the epithet of David is preached and it said that he lived full of days is what was said about David that's what God said about David and I remember this because I was in a prison one time by choice and the preacher said let me read to you he read about David he said let me read to you what God said about David at the end of his life and everybody in that room got excited right because God sees the story differently than we do but they're saying he shortened it his youth has covered us in shame he told God that he had cut the days off they were shortened so as you read these promises you begin to realize it's about someone that is greater than David Psalm is the anatomy of the Christian faith words for all of our emotion see we know that as I've said before that we are supposed to praise him even in our suffering that the promises of God do not exempt us from suffering but allows us to suffer with hope how does God speak about Job in Job chapter 1 he's saying have you seen my servant Job but he didn't exempt him from suffering right does God love Job yes was God proud of Job yes did Job suffer yes so the promises of God don't exempt you from suffering
[22:13] Psalm 88 we saw that one's private and personal and this one's more public that is here and so we get down to verse number 37 but despite the suffering the psalmist is about the business of praise despite the suffering the psalmist still praises God when is a good time to praise God and the answer would be always you are paying attention alright always is good all the time I think some southern preachers say it like this right God's good all the time and all the time we're gonna work we're gonna need to work on that one alright it was more me than you that time alright and so all the time God is good and those are good things I mean that is a good catechism of a way to say to remember something that was being said to you God is good all the time you ought to find your own expression of it and your kids ought to know it that God is good all the time when's a good time to praise God now's a good time to praise God eyes red cheeks swollen possibly exhausted as he leads in worship
[23:14] Peter's addressing some people that will be in exile that will be they will not live in a time where baptistries will be built in the churches live in a time where they buy the communion bread on Amazon a time where they can run ads in the newspaper for their churches they will live in a time where they are exiles and so what does Peter do in 1 Peter 3 1-5 he sings a doxology to them blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again unto his lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith and the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time hey all of you that are so gifted in worship in here those that lead us in worship in here that lead us in song let me tell you and you know this you don't have to stay tethered to this building everywhere you go you should be leading people in worship the God I mean if I can sing
[24:15] I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever all of you can sing it wherever you go and when would be a good time to lead people in praising the Lord when's a good time all the time alright the Lord has given and the Lord has taken away blessed be the name of the Lord no circumstances in life make God one ounce less worthy of our praise no circumstances in life make God one ounce less worthy of praise if you're not able to praise him today it is a heart issue not a circumstantial issue and so you need to get to a place of praise when we think we are in trouble we get eased by complaining but we do more when we joy by praising let our complaints be turned into thanksgiving during suffering and heartache praise the Lord a turkey is not required for thanksgiving alright you do not have to have a turkey meal to praise the Lord alright it doesn't hurt it doesn't mean you can't alright but you don't have to have a turkey meal so Ethan wanted us to know that he wanted us to praise the Lord it's funny to say Ethan it just does not sound like somebody that wrote any of the Bible does it alright so Ethan wanted others to know what he knew so I may do you know when I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever and with my mouth
[25:35] I will make known the faithfulness to all generations what would be a great definition of evangelism simple and pure it would be verse number one sing of the mercies of the Lord forever God's mercy has been built into our lives for I have said mercy shall be built up forever thy faithfulness shall not establish in the very heavens we have not one but many mercies to rejoice in and should therefore multiply the expressions of our thankfulness you ever written down a hundred things that you're thankful for you think it's really hard until you get to ten I mean once you start you can't stop I mean it's easier to get to a thousand and once you get to a hundred it just never stops and so our mercies have been built upon us they're layered alright they're like a nice lasagna okay they're just layered one upon another okay and so our blessings are layered here they're built upon us and so we have not one but many mercies to rejoice in and so verses five through ten just kind of a summary
[26:35] God praised them for he was praised for his faithfulness and his might talk about Rahab it's slain in the heavens declare his wonder faithful to the saints no one's compared to you God is greatly to be feared he's overcome the proud one which was Egypt no one is as faithful as you the glory and strength of God in heaven and on earth it says the heaven and earth all that is on earth belong to you turn all mercy truth they go everywhere in heaven everywhere on earth there's not a place you can go where God is not glorious there's not a situation you can go in where God is not worthy of being praised and the blessedness of those that know him blessed are the people that know the joyful sound those who know the sound of truth enjoy the favor and fellowship of the Lord they rejoice all day long in his name the character nature they find their strength in God especially in his favor and his glory and strength that know that the Lord leads me to this the Christian life is to be lived in submission to God the Christian life is to be lived in submission to God the psalmist does not have an answer to his questions but he doesn't cease to worship the Lord how long oh Lord will thou hide thy face forever shall thy wrath burn like fire verse 49
[27:50] Lord there are former loving kindness which thou swearest to David in thy truth in the middle of the psalm of praising the Lord they have questions that they're asking here even when we do not know what God is doing that he is good and that he is in control and he may not come this is another saying that would be good to be kept he may not come when you want him but he always comes right on time he may not come when you want him to come but he always comes right on time we know the presence of God is always available to him but the answers that we have in life may not come when we want but they always come right on time and this is a question I'd ask you what if you believe the failing promises are actually God fulfilling his word what if the way in which you believe that God is failing in his promises is actually God fulfilling his promises towards you Lord thou hast cast off and abhor us thou hast wrath at times thy servant void the covenant of thy servant thou hast profaned this crown by casting it to the ground has
[28:55] God been faithful to his promise you might ask like the psalmist has God been faithful to his promises does the throne of David endure forever and then here comes the angel to Mary and answers the question in Luke chapter number 2 but was this true about David Psalms 16 8 through 10 because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved therefore my heart is glad is it true about David it is true about Jesus Luke 131 through 33 and behold thou hast shall conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus he shall be great and shall be called the son of the highest the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David see David in Psalm 16 knew it wasn't about him David knew that it was not about him and I want to prove that to you Acts going down a little bit farther in
[30:08] Acts 2 therefore being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of the loins according to the flesh he will rise up in Christ to sit on his throne he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ that his soul was not left in hell neither his flesh see corruption Jesus explains to his disciples who thought God's plan had failed in Luke chapter number 24 that God had not failed David knows this Jesus knows this Peter will speak of it when Jesus teaches Peter in a moment Peter knew this in Acts chapter number 2 as he was speaking Jesus on the road to Emmaus says in Luke 24 25 and 26 chapter 24 verse 25 and 26 then he said unto him oh full slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory the things that the children of Israel had experienced would be experienced by Jesus Jesus experiences Psalm 89 39 through 45 and when you believe that the promises of
[31:12] God have failed you will learn that God was very much alive and working that he is working to fulfill all that he has ever said the suffering of the Messiah was foreshadowed by the suffering of David's line Christ should suffer on the third day and be risen again Paul in Acts 17 2 through 3 and Paul as his manner was went unto them in three Sabbath days reason with them out of scriptures opening and I preach unto you is Christ it looks like God's plans have failed at the crucifixion that God had not fulfilled his promise it looked like it had failed to the line of David and this confusion happens when you believe God's plan in this world is primarily about you and that it's about your comfort but it's not it's about the glory of God it's about your holiness that you're not the main character in the story and so that it was never about you and so the promises that weren't being fulfilled weren't about you but they were about
[32:19] Jesus and so when you think that God is failing it's just absolutely you seeing the story as it was not meant to be written by you this is as he's preaching in Acts 2 he said they told them the Messiah would be crucified Acts 2 36 therefore let all the house of Israel know surely that God had made the same Jesus whom he had crucified both Lord and Christ then they cry out and they say he's the Messiah this can't be right the Messiah is dead this plan God must have failed if the Messiah has been killed then the plan must have failed verse 37 now when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles men and brethren what shall we do this prayer of lament God has fallen God has failed this cannot be happening what shall we do we should understand that he died for your sin and you're not understanding and he was crucified verse 38 then Peter said unto him repent and be baptized every one of you in the history when man believed that
[33:31] God's promises have failed they realized that they just did not know the story the way that God knew the story you can see it in Acts chapter number 89 foreshadowing Jesus you can see in the book of Acts where they say oh no what are we going to do and it says Jesus he died and he died for your sins even though you killed him and he died for your unbelief and for your confusion here what man is he that liveth psalm 89 48 and shall not see death shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave think about that Selah something bigger and better than they could ever imagine was happening God was going to set Jesus upon the throne that's how it was going to be not just the heirs of David sitting upon the throne of Israel their heart was broken for something so small got broken it so small got broken but God was fulfilling it in such a bigger way reminder that we are asking for what we're asking for could only be answered in
[34:32] Jesus what man could live and not see death I mean we knew that David was going to die and 400 years later one of his sons wouldn't sit upon the throne but God didn't fulfill his promise because none of us are supposed to live and not see death it wasn't about you and the promises of God are not about us either they're about the glory of God David gets it Peter gets it Paul gets it but do you get it do I get it life will never make sense if you're convinced that you're the main character in the story it is always always always always about Jesus and so I can say blessed be the Lord forever amen and amen psalmist ends with asking for a strong amen you don't if you think God is failing you he's fulfilling his promises God does not need to change you need to recognize that the story was not about you it's about him and most of us many times in our lives get 10 20 years down the road and we look around and we say wow
[35:35] I understand what God was doing now you know one of the greatest things that happened to me when I was a teenager I was in the hospital I would have never signed up to be in a hospital for a month as a teenager but now some 20 years later I say God wasn't failing me God was doing a wonderful work in my life if something like that just 20 years later I can look back and say God was right and I wasn't what do you think 2000 years from now is going to do to your situation that the problem you're facing right now we're not the main character it's always about him it is always always always about Jesus and when you believe God is failing him recognize that you're not seeing the story for what it is and is more glorious than you could ever imagine I want us to take a moment and pray somebody will play the piano I choose you Charlotte all right Charlotte will play the piano and would you just talk to the Lord whatever situation you're in right now God loves you God's children suffer if you're suffering know that it's a time of praise and also say
[36:40] God maybe I'm suffering so much because I forgot that the story is not about me that this story is about you and before we end singing the night